Principal Video Engineer Design Experience (Bay area only)

Join the team redefining how the world experiences design.

Hey gday mabuhay kia ora 你好 hallo vítejte!
Thanks for stopping by. We know job hunting can be a little time-consuming and youre probably keen to find out whats on offer so well get straight to the point.

What youd be doing in this role

As Canva scales change continues to be part of our DNA. But we like to think thats all part of the fun. So this will give you the flavour of the type of things youll be working on when you start but this will likely evolve.

As a Principal Video Engineer youll be stepping into one of the most technically senior and challenging impactful roles within Canvas engineering organisation. Were looking for a technical architect who will shape the future of video technology across our entire platform working at the intersection of cutting-edge cross-platform video processing engines scalable system design and user experience optimisation. This role represents a unique opportunity to lead the technical direction for video infrastructure that serves millions of users daily directly influencing export performance rendering quality and the overall creative experience. Youll be the technical cornerstone that enables our team to push the boundaries of whats possible in browser-based video creation working alongside some of the industrys most talented engineers to solve problems that have never been solved before. Your architectural decisions will ripple through every video feature we ship making this role central to Canvas continued dominance in the visual creation space.

At the moment this role is focused on:

• Youll architect and lead the technical direction for Canvas entire video technology stack making critical design decisions that balance performance scalability and user experience across millions of daily video exports

• Youll collaborate closely with tenured and experienced Principal/Staff engineers to establish technical standards and best practices while gradually assuming ownership of video-specific architectural decisions

• Youll design and implement high-performance rendering systems using modern graphics technologies optimising video composition pipelines that need to handle complex designs with sub-second responsiveness

• Youll solve complex technical challenges around video export costs rendering performance and system reliability using your deep understanding of video technology to make trade-offs that maximise both technical excellence and business impact

• Youll establish technical vision and roadmaps for video technology that enable innovative features like AI-powered effects advanced international language support and next-generation video editing capabilities

• Youll mentor and technically guide other engineers on video-related projects sharing your expertise in video systems architecture and helping the team execute on ambitious technical initiatives

Youre probably a match if

Were seeking a technical leader who doesnt just understand video technology but truly gets video someone who intuitively grasps the nuanced balance between performance quality and user experience that makes video editing feel magical. Youre the kind of engineer who can dive deep into audio/video processing engines while simultaneously thinking strategically about system architecture and you have the rare combination of hands-on technical skills and architectural vision that can guide a team through complex technical transitions. We need someone who thrives in ambiguous cutting-edge technical challenges and can make critical decisions under pressure especially someone with significant experience building industry-leading digital content creation tools. Your motivation comes from solving problems that millions of users will directly benefit from and youre excited by the opportunity to shape the technical foundation of one of the worlds most popular creative platforms.

• Deep expertise in video technology and digital content creation tooling with hands-on experience building video editing composition or similar creative software
• Strong system architecture and technical leadership skills with experience designing scalable systems that can handle millions of users
• Industry connections and open-source contributions in video/graphics technology demonstrating your engagement with the broader technical community
• Experience with cross-platform development and engine consolidation particularly in environments that require maintaining multiple codebases

About the team

The Video Engineering team sits within Canvas Design Experience Supergroup and is on a mission to democratise video creation. From cutting-edge rendering engines to scalable architectures and AI-powered features were building the future of visual storytelling for millions of creators around the globe.

Whats in it for you

Achieving our crazy big goals motivates us to work hard and we do but youll experience lots of moments of magic connectivity and fun woven throughout life at Canva too. We also offer a range of benefits to set you up for every success in and outside of work.

Heres a taste of whats on offer:
Equity packages we want our success to be yours too
Inclusive parental leave policy that supports all parents & carers
An annual Vibe & Thrive allowance to support your wellbeing social connection office setup & more
Flexible leave options that empower you to be a force for good take time to recharge and support you personally

Check out for more info.

Other stuff to know

We make hiring decisions based on your experience skills and passion as well as how you can enhance Canva and our culture. When you apply please tell us the pronouns you use and any reasonable adjustments you may need during the interview process.

Please note that interviews are conducted virtually.

Remote Work :

No

Employment Type :

Full-time